Since its inception, the content of this blog has focused exclusively on cold case homicides. Highlighting unsolved cases brings the memories of the victims to the forefront and may also cause reluctant witnesses to come forward with new information.
This post, however, deals with a current investigation -- a case that, besides the typical media reports, I admittedly, firsthand, no little about.
Located to the east of Eau Clarie, Wisconsin, police in Altoona (population 6,793) are in the midst of a death investigation that points to a probable homicide. Theresa Still, 43, was last seen alive on December 27 at the 400 Club -- a tavern located less than a half-a-mile north of Still's home.
Eau Claire police later discovered Still's car locked and abandoned at the Super Target, located at 3649 S. Hastings Way, about four miles south of the tavern. The store is just to the north of Highway 53, a busy thoroughfare and a gateway to the interstate.
With the cooperation of citizens, law enforcement organized search parties. Police, however, later discovered a body believed to be Still's over 100 miles away in a rural field in Adams County. Investigators conveyed the body to Madison for an autopsy.
The bartender at the 400 Club, Val Lanners, is the last known person to have observed Theresa Still alive. Lanners told an Eau Claire television station that Still -- a tavern regular -- had ordered a beer and played a video game prior to leaving the tavern alone. Lanners believed the usually outgoing woman wasn't her typical self. Another witness told investigators that Still wasn't looking forward to returning home that evening.
Still resides with her live-in boyfriend, identified by WQOW in Eau Clarie as Greg Gebernot, who told investigators that he last saw Still on December 27 between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Still and Gebernot resided together for three years. The court docket strongly suggests that their relationship wasn't exactly a bed of roses.
Gebernot pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from an August 2007 incident where it's alleged he punched Still in the face. Three months after pleading guilty and receiving probation, police again arrested Gebernot for striking Still. This time Still alleged that Gebernot also choked her -- a layman's term frequently used to describe strangulation.
Still then filed for a restraining order and wrote: "We were out together and he was acting jealous. When I got home, I went upstairs to find a hole in the ceiling. I told him that we were done and that I couldn't continue to live this way. He said if he couldn't have me, no one will. He hit me over the head with a vase and choked me. I yelled and my daughter jumped on his back and he threw her off. She then called 911."
Court documents indicate that Still needed sutures for cuts to her head and possibly broke her wrist. A judge found Gebernot guilty of battery. He performed community service in lieu of a jail sentence. Records show a judge later tossed-out the restraining order request when both parties failed to appear for a hearing.
Some readers may ask why Theresa Still continued to permit her abuser to reside with her. Unfortunately, economics often times plays a role in domestic relationships. I'm speculating that Still may have, at some point, relied on Gubernot to pick-up some of the household's bills. Court records further show that Theresa Still recently defaulted on her mortgage. Not only was Still living with a physically abusive boyfriend, she was also experiencing a tremendous amount of financial stress.
According to WQOW, police are not officially calling Still's boyfriend a suspect. Authorities claim Gubernot is cooperating with the investigation. He told investigators that his live-in girlfriend decided to visit an Indian casino in the center of the state. Friends of Still's doubt Gubernot's claim. They say the woman was typically in bed early on work nights.
So where does this lead investigators?
The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reported that "a man" called the Adams County Sheriff's Department at 11:28 a.m. on December 30 to report the discovery of a body. The sheriff's office declined to provide the precise location, although the sheriff described the investigation as "fast-paced" and "ongoing." Investigators are further checking claims that Greg Gubernot either owns or had owned land in Adams County.
In an effort to establish a solid timeline, an important piece of evidence will likely be the video from the Super Target parking lot. In an effort to reduce and discourage theft, large retail outlets generally have very good surveillance equipment.
Furthermore, since the killer transported Still's body, the vehicle used is also key. WQOW just reported that police seized Greg Gubernot's pick-up truck. Forensic investigators will comb the bed and interior of the truck, as well as the vehicle's tires. Even if an effort was made to clean the bed, technological advances in DNA recovery and testing may produce evidence. Moreover, debris found on the tires and the truck's undercarriage will be checked for particles consistent with the area where the body was located.
While news reports failed to mention cellular phones, like most Americans, Still and Gubernot may own and carry these devices. If the data exists, investigators are likely readying subpoenas to obtain this valuable information.
For updates, visit the Eau Claire Leader Telegram's Web site.
And don't forget to check for my Web page, The Spingola Files, that's coming soon. Visit http://www.badgerwordsmith.com/ for updates.
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Steven Spingola is a retired Milwaukee Police Department homicide detective and the author of The Killer in Our Midst: the Case of Milwaukee's North Side Strangler.
Copyright, Steven Spingola, Milwaukee, WI 2010
I'm not seeing much of a mystery or a tangled web to this murder - it is pretty obvious who the murderer is. His parents live on my road a few blocks down and once the police showed up we figured the mystery was solved.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Mike. Ms. Still's car was located over four miles away from her home. So either the suspect walked that distance home in the bitter cold or another party assited the suspect.
ReplyDeleteHey, Mike, do you think this guy used his own trunk to get rid of the body? What if no traces of blood are found in the truck? Would that convince you that their another person is involved if not in the murder at least the disposal of the corpse? Where's the murder weapon and the blood clothes of killer? I think there's many unanswered question. I this guy had someone help somewhere along the way.
ReplyDeleteHey, I work at this particular Super Target. Unfortunately I hadn't even been following the news so I didn't know about Theresa's disappearance until Wednesday morning when the police found her vehicle. I wish I'd known there was a vehicle with a BOLO, I may have noticed it in the lot. Although, it wouldn't have saved her, but maybe they'd be farther along with their investigation. I checked the weather for the 27th and 28th of December, it was between 25 and 30 degrees. Weather that could be tolerated for walking in my opinion, and given the adrenaline flowing through someone's veins after such an act of violence..very possible to do a four mile walk. Obviously they won't tell us what time the car was dropped off. It was there Monday morning though from what I've heard around the store. What are the stats? One-third of all homicides are committed by someone who knows the victim..something like that?? The boyfriend is a horrible man given his past.. and if he hadn't admitted to seeing her after she'd been to the bar.. I wouldn't be so quick to make a judgement about him...
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind the timeline. She was last observed between 6:15 and 6:45 p.m. at the tavern. She may have went directly home. There's a lot that happens in the next 13 hours. If the crime occurred in her home, the suspect may have attempted to clean the scene. From the photos of the residence, it appears the dwelling has a detached garage. Would the killer wait until later in the evening to carry the body from the home, especially at a corner residence where others could easily observe a large object being transported to a vehicle or the garage? Then there's the drive to Adams County, traveling back roads searching for a dumpsite,and physically transporting the body from the vehicle into the wooded area. A Probable four hour time frame. The killer likely returned to a safe environment, cleaned-up, and then drove the car to the Super Target. The walk would take at least and hour, maybe more. Walking late at night in is suspicious. The police, video, or a possible witness could observe the suspect.
ReplyDeleteAbout a month ago, a man strangled his stepson to death in a van outside a Germantown, WI Walmart. After the murder, he called for a ride. The video surveillance caught him exiting the van.
If the suspect walked, why not ditch the van closer to his home or a short distance from the tavern?
It would be interesting to take a look at the actual timeline established by the evidence without speculating.